There are numerous instances in diverse areas where it is desirable that organic materials be reduced. Such a requirement may arise in the processing of raw materials, as, for example, in the extraction of oil from oil shales, or in the treatment of waste materials.
The waste treatment category will arise in an endless number of situations. This may be due to the useful life of the product having been completed. For example, huge quantities of worn out tires are in existence. The waste may also arise from normal industrial processes. Refinery sludge and pulp mill effluents are examples. Municipal sewage and garbage are other sources of large quantities of organic waste.
Various considerations dependent on the particular waste type mandate that the waste be treated. In the case of municipal sewage, for example, the waste is a health and environmental hazard and its toxicity must be neutralized. In the case of tires the emphasis is on recycling of the very substantial amounts particularly of oil and carbon black which are the major components of tires.
The treatment of various of these waste types as, for example, by burning, may itself lead to environmental pollution problems.
There is therefore an ongoing need for more efficient treatment and recycling methods for organic materials.
Against this background the present invention is directed toward the use of microwave energy in a method and apparatus which is applicable in a very general sense to a very wide range of organic materials.